[ExI] Stop Congress from Restricting Access to DHEA

Sat Oct 6 00:21:55 UTC 2007

The following comes from Ray Kurzweil & Dr. Terry Grossman's "Fantastic
Voyage," page 285: 

DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone, is the most abundant steroid hormone
produced in the human body.  In the past, DHEA was thought to simply be a
precursor to other hormones, which no particular physiological function of
it's own.  But the late William Regelson, M.D., a well-known anti-aging
physician-researcher, has referred to DHEA as the "superstar of the super
hormones."  DHEA levels peak around 25 years of age, then steadily decline
by 50 percent in your 40s and fall further to around 5 percent of youthful
levels by age 85.  Does this mean DHEA could play a role in longevity?  Some
animal experiments have indeed confirmed that taking DHEA can slow down
aging and increase longevity." [citations removed].

Benefits of DHEA include: decrease risk of heart disease, fights stress,
boosts immune function, reduces depression, improves memory, relieves
symptoms of menopause, prevents bone loss, enhances libido, improves insulin
sensitivity and glucose tolerance, and increases lean body mass.

In June, 2007, the Life Extension Foundation published an article on the
benefits of DHEA as well as their view as to why some drug companies are
lobbying Congress to ban DHEA:
http://search.lef.org/cgi-src-bin/MsmGo.exe?grab_id=0
<http://search.lef.org/cgi-src-bin/MsmGo.exe?grab_id=0&page_id=912&query=dhe
a&hiword=DHEAA%20DHEAS%20dhea%20>
&page_id=912&query=dhea&hiword=DHEAA%20DHEAS%20dhea%20

Additional articles discuss DHEA as a weight loss and depression supplement:

http://www.life-enhancement.com/article_template.asp?id=1044; and

http://www.life-enhancement.com/article_template.asp?ID=1020 

Additional Background: 

In 2004, Congress passed and the President signed into law the Anabolic
Steroid Control Act, which provided for the listing of steroid hormone
precursors such as androstenedione ("andro") under the Controlled Substances
Act. This statute now prohibits the marketing of these substances as dietary
supplements by regulating them as Schedule III controlled substances.
However, the Anabolic Steroid Control Act contained a provision that
exempted the dietary ingredient DHEA, a prohormone with little or no
potential for abuse as a performance-enhancing ingredient, but with
demonstrated value in supporting normal hormone levels during aging. 

DHEA offers many benefits and is most frequently used by elderly consumers
and others with deficient hormone levels. It has been on the market as a
dietary supplement for the last 20 years and currently has sales of about
$50 million, almost entirely for uses related to aging. DHEA is not like
illegal anabolic steroids such as testosterone or precursors such as
androstenedione, which have been the targeted for federal and state
restrictions over the last two years. Unlike these other substances, DHEA
cannot be used by younger, healthy adults to build muscle mass or enhance
performance, nor is there evidence that DHEA would product the negative
effects commonly associated with steroid abuse.

Acting on false information and understandably concerned about the public
outrage over the abuse of steroids, Senators Charles Grassley (Iowa), John
McCain (Arizona), and Richard Durbin (Illinois) have introduced S. 762,
which would nullify the DHEA exemption contained in the Anabolic Steroid
Control Act and effectively place DHEA on the Schedule III controlled
substances list. 

Senate Bill 762 & House Bill 1249 would restrict access to DHEA 

Your access to DHEA is in jeopardy! The Senate is considering a bill, S.
762, to classify DHEA as an anabolic steroid, adding it to the list of
controlled substances and removing it from the market. H.R. 1249 is the
companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. Your immediate help is
needed to keep this safe and effective dietary supplement legal and
accessible. 

DHEA is not an anabolic steroid. It is a naturally occurring hormone that
has a wide range of benefits, including maintaining muscle strength and
strong bones, boosting immunity, and improving mood and sleep patterns.
Further studies suggest that DHEA may be helpful for such conditions as
obesity, cancer and Alzheimers disease. DHEA dietary supplements, which have
been on the market for over 20 years, are derived from a plant in the wild
yam family; for more information. -

http://www.capwiz.com/nnfa/issues/bills/?bill=9492216 "

We need your help to keep DHEA legal. Send a message to Congress asking your
Senators and Representative to oppose S. 762 and H.R. 1249 and any amendment
to restrict access to DHEA to minors. Congress should not restrict access to
a dietary supplement that has given health to millions of Americans. Take
action now! 

James Clement

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